Only a Decade Away
by Mr. Gregor Samsa
Summary: Erik attempts to flee after Christine leaves him. Soon he find himself falling through a time warp, ending up in the 21st cetury in downtown NYC. What adventures await him in this new world? Will he learn to find happyness?
1. Prologue

**Author Note**

Hey! I've written phan fics before, I just haven't posted them. Sorry this one is a little short. I just wanted to try and explain a few things. Tell me what you think and if your confused about anything, I'll answer it in the next chapter! Enjoy!

Black Isis

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Prologue

Erik sank to his knees, letting the tears her had held inside of him so long finally flow from his tired eyes. Christine was gone, he could just now see them fading from sight. His Christine and her precious Vicomte were gone forever. She had chosen a life with that stupid fop. Erik let out a cry of rage and sorrow. It echoed through the tunnels, filling every crevice, causing those who heard it to suddenly weep.

He got up off the floor, walking over to a mirror. He ran his finger down the smooth glassy surface, looking upon his abhorred face. He spun around suddenly.

He sang out Christine's name, his powerful voice filling the bowels of the opera Populair with his sorrowful exaltation. He hoped Christine heard it. He prayed she would come back. She did not. His head drooped. He picked up a candle holder that was sitting next to him on a desk and hurled it at one of the mirrors. It cracked, small pieces of glass flaking off and falling to the ground with a delicate clink. He picked up the candle holder and smashed two more mirrors, finally knocking a hole through one.

He looked over his lair one last time. It was so familiar to him; every little thing brought back some form of a memory. He walked over, grabbing his mask and cape. He put them on quickly, his cape sweeping gracefully about his feet. With one last fleeting glance, he stepped through the mirror, closing the drape behind him. As he walked deeper down the passage, he could hear the sound of voices becoming louder. _At least keep my music. _He thought as he imagined the mob wrecking his beautiful, well planned lair. He pulled his cape up around him closer beginning to walk faster.

At last, the bluish light of the outside world began to seep into the passage, dancing along the cracks and shining off the moist walls. He opened the trap door, stepping out of it quickly. His hissed, covering his eyes with his cape as the light blinded him.

"Damn it to HELL!" he roared, stomping off down the alley, his cape still shielding his eyes protectively. He was finally able to put his cape down. He looked around and sighed, there were small snowflakes falling about him, landing gracefully on his black cape and dress coat. He shivered, his breath turning into little steam clouds in front of his mouth.

Before he new what was happening, he felt the ground move from beneath his feet. He let out a cry of surprise as his arms flailed about wildly. He was falling. His fingers hooked onto the side of a wall. He looked over the of the wall down the alleyway. He looked back to see he was hanging on the edge of a large hole. He did not cry out for help, perhaps this would be the way he would die. He turned his head to look back down the alley one last time.

"Goodbye forever, my dear Christine." He said, tears stinging his eyes. He let his fingers slide from the grip he had on the wall, falling backwards into the black abyss.

He felt the wind rushing around his face as he fell faster and faster. He expected to make contact with solid ground any time now. Instead, he felt himself being pulled forward even more. Erik closed his eyes as the pressure on his body became greater and greater until he cried out in pain. What the hell was happening to him? It felt as if he was being sucked through a straw.

At last, the pressure was released from his body and he landed softly on the ground with a thud. He turned over, yelping in pain. It felt as if thousands of needles had just pierced his body. He felt something sticky run down over his lip. He lifted a shaking hand to his nose to feel a warm liquid flowing from it. His vision was blurred and his head was pounding. What had just happened?

"Oh my God, Are you okay sir!" a female voice asked. Erik was too weak to actually formulate an answer.

"Let me die…" he said hoarsely.

"No, I can't do that!" the voice answered.

"Leave me!" he yelled before blacking out.

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**End Notes**

- What Erik fell through was sort of a worm hole/tesseract.

- I'm basing this mostly on the play, but I'm leaving out the music lyrics because I don't think that they would be running around singing in real life, no?

- Please review! It means a lot!


	2. Welcome to the 21st Century

**Author Note**

Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews! **Karen, Black-Kitsune **(love your name)**, NeoQueenSolaris-Cosmos, Shadie-poo **(luv ya girly!)**, and Estelle Tiniwiel.** You don't know how much I appreciate it! **Estelle**, your comment made me feel very good about this story. I really try hard to make as much since as possible. Lol. Here's chapter 1! Enjoy!

Black Isis

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Chapter 1- Welcome to the 21st Century

Erik slowly opened his eyes. His vision was terribly blurred and his throbbing headache did not help his situation. Wherever he was, it was dark. He could make out a large window on the opposite wall that was blocking most of the light with thick, royal purple drapes. He tried to lift his head up off the pillow but failed, letting it fall limply back down. He let out a groan as his head surged with pain.

"Are you awake?" the woman's voice asked. Erik blinked, desperately tying to see. Finally his vision cleared. He was lying in a bed that had purple and yellow sheets with a small floral patter that weaved throughout it. The woman's voice came from a girl who looked no older than seventeen. She had large blue eyes and unusually long, strawberry blonde hair that was pulled into two pigtails on the side of her head. Her long bangs hung limply over her eyes creating a laid back look. The room was still too dark to make out, but it had several things in it that Erik did not recognize or even knew what they were for.

"Where am I?" he asked hoarsely. The girl smiled. Her teeth were very white and very straight.

"Good, you're strong enough to speak." She exclaimed. "Well, you are in my apartment on 117 East 59th St." she explained. "I couldn't just leave you last night…" she continued.

"59th St.? Where the hell is that? What part of France?" Erik asked. The girl starred at him.

"You're from France?" she asked. Erik nodded, his eyes barely open.

"Do not take offence to this but, why are you not afraid of me?" he asked. The girl gave him a puzzled look.

"Afraid? No, I wouldn't be afraid." She said, waving it off with her hand. "I mean, I don't usually pick up perfect strangers off the street but, you had a good aura." She said, smiling kindly at Erik. He blinked, raising his hand to his mask.

"And you do not recognize me by my mask?" he inquired. The girl shrugged.

"Ever since the movie, there have been a lot of people walking around with masks on." She said nonchalantly. Erik was taken aback. He did not understand what she meant by "movie", but he did understand the last part.

"You mean people wear masks even when they are not forced to?" he asked feeling anger surge through his veins. The girl backed away.

"Easy, no need to get angry. You don't have to wear that mask do you?" she asked, reaching to take it off.

Erik grabbed her wrists in mid air. The girl gasped, pulling her hand away quickly. She scowled.

"I don't know what you do in France, but we don't take shit like that here in New York…" she said. "Especially not me." She concluded, jabbing her thumb towards her chest. Erik's eyes became wide.

"How the hell did I end up in America?" he asked, getting out of the squishy bed. "Where is my cape?" he hissed. He fell backwards onto the bed from getting up to quickly.

"It's right here." The girl said, walking over to Erik's cape that was draped over a chair. He snatched it out of her hand, throwing it over his shoulders.

"What is your name, child?" he asked, glancing at the girl. She was wearing a patched skirt with several squares of patterns on it and a solid brown long sleeve shirt.

"It's Nicole." She said, crossing her arms. "And I'm 20. Not a child. What is your name…_Monsieur_?" she asked, horrible mispronouncing 'monsieur'.

Erik scowled. He did not like telling people his real name.

"It's…..Erik." he said plainly. The girl's eyes became wide, a smile creeping at the corner of her lips.

"No last name?" she asked, the smile stretching across her face. Erik's eyes flitted away from hers.

"No last name." he repeated. "Now, I must take leave of you. I need to find some way to get back to…" he stopped short, opening the door to Nicole's room. Hi eyes became wide and he stumbled backwards.

"Wh-what is that!" he asked shakily, pointing a long finger at Nicole's TV. She peered around the door at the TV that was turned to Vh1. She glanced back at Erik, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"That's a television." She said in a sickly sweet voice. "And this is a chair." She said, motioning to a small chair that sat in front of her vanity.

"I know what a chair is!" Erik spat. "But how do the pictures move?" he asked, walking closer to the TV. Nicole followed him.

Erik's electric blue eyes darted curiously about the apartment, picking out the little details. He ran a hand across the vibrant orange wall before walking over to the reddish orange couch and picking up an iridescent pillow that had beadings along the fringes. He walked all over, looking at all the books that were on an old bookshelf before wandering into the kitchen.

"What time period are you from?" she asked sardonically.

"1870." Erik answered plainly, inspecting the toaster curiously. Nicole let out a snort.

"Okay, this has gone far enough." She said, walking over and jerking Erik's mask off.

"Now get…" she stopped as Erik's hand flew to his face.

"NO!" he roared. "Ignorant girl! Give me my MASK!" he bellowed at Nicole, his hand covering the right side of his face. She slowly handed Erik his mask, her eyebrows raised. He snatched it fiercely from her hand and turned to put it back over his face.

"Oh my God." Nicole said, dumbfounded. "You really are…you're the…how did you…?" she couldn't seem to formulate sentences. She turned around and walked over towards the kitchen area, mumbling something. Erik gazed around the small apartment. There was a small sitting room with a large squishy couch and a coffee table in front of a large window with a view of tall grey buildings with many windows. The so called "television" sat across from the couch and coffee table beside the bookshelf. and a small eating table with a glass top. There was a small wall between the kitchen and the sitting room where there was a strange box with a handle and numbers on it. Nicole was leaning against the wall, facing away from Erik.

Down the small hall, someone stirred behind a closed door.

"Nicky? What's all the fuss about?" came another girl's voice.

"Nothing Charo, go back to sleep. It's Saturday for Christ's sake." Nicole answered as she ran out of the kitchen. She grabbed Erik's arm and pushed him towards the door.

"Stand out here for a second." She instructed, standing Erik just outside the door to their apartment.

"Char, I'm going out for breakfast, do you want anything?" came from behind the door. Erik stood there, gazing around the hallway. The architecture was so strange and the coloring was so dull; white walls and a grayish blue carpet, how very boring. He sighed, looking up the flight of stairs that was just to the right of Nicole's door. He could hear people on the next floor up snoring. _Who all live in this house? _He thought.

Nicole emerged from her apartment.

"Come with me." She said taking Erik's hand. She pulled away immediately. His eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong? Can you not even stand to touch me?" he spat. Nicole shook her head.

"No, your hands are so cold!" she exclaimed. She took both of his hands in hers in an attempt to warm them. Erik's eyes grew wide at the warmth of her hands.

"Now, are you hungry?" she asked, leading him down three flights of stairs.

"I suppose." He said plainly.

They finally reached the bottom floor. Nicole opened the door, revealing the blinding sun. Erik hissed, covering his eyes with his cape once again.

"Whoa, Dracula…" Nicole said smirking. She walked over to her car, beginning to get in. She looked over to see Erik still standing in the same spot.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing at Nicole Hyundai Tiburon.

"It's a car, now get in." she instructed. Erik gulped, slowly walking over to the vehicle. Nicole walked around and opened the door for him since he was obviously confused. He bent down, sitting in the front seat of the low car. Nicole shut the door, walking over to the passenger side.

"Now, how about…" she began then stopped. "Oh yeah, you're from the nineteenth century…" she said shakily. Erik looked at her.

"And what year _is _this?" he asked.

"You are currently in the year 2005." She answered. Erik's already pale face went even paler.

"What?" he gasped, his eyes bulging. Nicole smiled weakly.

"You really are the Phantom of the Opera aren't you." She said. Suddenly she turned and shook her head wildly.

"NO NO NO NO NO!" she yelled startling Erik. She started the car, revving the engine. Erik yelped, grabbing onto the handle. His hand gripped Nicole's arm as well. She blushed slightly, pulling out onto the street.

Erik was almost hyperventilating as they drove down the street.

"Slow down!" he bellowed.

"I'm only going twenty five miles an hour!" Nicole snapped.

"WHY THE HELL AM I HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?" he bellowed. Nicole pressed on the breaks.

"Well….!" She began but stopped when she saw Erik's face. Tears were streaming out of his electric blue eyes.

"Oh Christine." He whimpered. "I just wanted to die…" he said, burying his face in his hands. Nicole reached over and patted his back hesitantly. As she felt him shudder beneath her, more feeling went into her comforting.

"Now then, no one wants you to die." She said calmly, rubbing Erik's back soothingly. A car behind them beeped loudly at their lack of movement, startling Erik. Nicole held her middle finger out the window before pulling over to the side. The car beeped again as it drove past them.

"Now, I'm sorry about Christine…" Nicole continued. "But you have to get over her." She stated as if it was simple. Erik raised his head to look at her.

"How did you know?" he asked, his eyes wide. Nicole chuckled.

"You're a pretty good actor." She said, beginning to drive forward. "You almost had me fooled back at my apartment." She turned onto Broadway, speeding up slightly. Erik gripped the side of the seat again.

"What do you mean by actor?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Nicole shrugged. "You can't really be the Phantom of the Opera. He lived in the 1800's. It's the twenty first century for crying out loud!" she exclaimed, shifting a gear as she sped up.

"The only way you can prove to me that all the bullshit that you're pulling off is true is to remove that mask of yours." She said, putting on her blinker to pull up beside a Starbucks café.

"No." Erik hissed. "You will regret it as soon as I do." He explained. Nicole rolled her eyes again.

"Okay, now this is really getting annoying. Give me that stupid mask!" she demanded, reaching over and grabbing it again.

"NO! STOP!" Erik roared, his hand flying to his face once again, his other hand clawing at Nicole. Nicole put the mask out of his reach.

"Now you can't get it. So just lower your hand so I can know who you are and get you a deal with a talent scout." She said plainly. Erik shook with fear and rage.

"No, you don't understand! You will fear me! We are in a close space. You will scream!" he said, his voice quavering.

Nicole crossed her arms in frustration then softened her appearance.

"Please. I promise I won't do anything." She said, her eyes becoming large.

"You won't?" he asked skeptically. Nicole shook her head.

"Nope. How bad could some make up…..HOLY SHIT!" she yelled, backing against the car door as Erik removed his hand. He quickly turned away from her, his hand flying to his face once again. His body shuddered with rage and sadness.

"No! I'm so sorry Erik! I am so sorry! I really wasn't expecting you to actually…" she faded off. "Oh God, Erik, please forgive me." She begged, placing a hand on Erik's shoulder.

"Just….give me my mask." He said venomously, jerking away from her touch.

"No, Erik, show me your face again. I will not react in the same way. I really wasn't expecting you…" she faded off again.

"Wasn't expecting what?" Erik asked through clenched teeth.

"I wasn't expecting you to be telling the truth." Nicole said. She reached around and turned Erik's head towards her. He looked at her with his hollow eyes. They held all the sorrow of the world within their confines. Nicole's own eyes glistened with curiosity.

"Monsieur Phantom…" she said softly. Erik raised his eyebrows ever so slightly.

"Yes?" he asked, surprised to see Nicole had a large smile on her face, her eyes glistening with small tears.

"God you're beautiful." She whispered. Erik raised his eyebrows all the way this time, his eyes becoming large with disbelief.

"What!" he asked shocked. Nicole shook her head as if to bring herself out of a trance.

"Oh, nothing. H-here's your mask." She said, giving Erik his mask back.

He placed it over his face, leaning his head back against the seat and letting out a sigh. Nicole whipped out her cell phone. Sliding it open, she pressed the speed dial to Charo's phone. It rang a few times before Charo answered.

"H-hello?" she asked sleepily.

"Charzard!" Nicole said playfully.

"I am not a Pokemon. What do you want? You told me I should sleep in!" Charo barked.

"Heh, that was before…..um, I'll tell you when I get home." Nicole said, glancing over at Erik.

"You called me up just to say 'Oh I'll tell you at home'?" Charo snapped, obviously still sleepy.

"It's complicated…" Nicole began. "But don't be frightened when I bring home a man wearing a mask." Nicole said quickly before hanging up. She turned to Erik who was starring at the cell that she held in her hand.

"So, hungry?" she asked, motioning to the Starbucks them with her head. Erik nodded slowly.

Nicole got out and went in by herself, not really wanting to take Erik inside. She ended up ordering almost every item off the menu. When Charo and Nicole were hungry, they put it away. Who knows how much food she would need with Erik there? (A/N: I don't own Starbucks.) Nicole slowly drove back to the apartment, using all her will power to not dig into the delicious smelling pastries and coffee.

Back at the apartment, Charo had gotten dressed quickly, pulling her mocha brown hair up into a messy bun, her light blue eyes glistening with sleep as she looked at her pale reflection in the mirror. What the hell was Nicole thinking, brining a man that she had never met to their apartment? Charo rubber her face sleepily, her pale complexion turning slightly pink from the friction.

It was their second year at Dress Making and Design School Maison Sapho. They both loved visual art however. Their various paintings hung about the apartment. A small room in the back was purely dedicated to art; they each had a desk with their work scattered about in a slipshod manner and an art easel that they shared was positioned in the corner.

Charo quickly rushed out into the living room right as Nicole came through the door.

"Oh, um Charo, this is Erik." Nicole said nervously, taking Erik's arm and leading him through decorative doorway. Charo took a step backwards out of habit.

"H-how do you do?" she asked nervously. Erik bowed his head.

"I have been better but I appreciate you asking." He said, smiling weakly, still unsure of his surroundings. "It is a pleasure to meet you Mademoiselle." He said politely. Nicole smiled. Erik was extremely charming.

Charo looked at the fast food bag Nicole held in her hand. She cleared her throat.

"Oh yeah!" Nicole said, walking over and setting the food down on the small eating table. She took out a pastry and handed it to Charo, then took another and handed it to Erik. He took it hesitantly then slowly tried to bite down on it.

"No, no, you have to unwrap it first." Nicole said, showing Erik her unwrapped pastry.

"Good." He said, peeling the paper back. "It tasted horrible." He said taking a large bite out of the strawberry filled doughnut.

His eyes became wide and he looked at the doughnut he held. Nicole stopped eating.

"Do you not like it?" she asked. Her question was answered when Erik ate the rest of the pastry in under four bites.

"Oh…." Nicole said, finishing hers a little slower. "Here, you might like these…" she said, handing Erik the latte. At first he made a disgusted face, but soon began to sip it lightly.

Erik stopped drinking for a moment. "It has probably been at least two days since I have last eaten." Erik stated. "Maybe three…" he added as an after thought. This time it was Nicole's eyes who became wide.

"You poor thing." She said, walking over to Erik. She ran her hand along his rib cage.

"I can feel your ribs!" she exclaimed, not noticing Erik, who was blushing furiously as he stared at her like a deer in the headlights.

"That's not good, Erik." Nicole said, leading him over to the couch. "I'll have to fatten you up!"

Charo watched from the corner of the room. She had just recently seen the Phantom of the Opera movie. The man that sat on the couch looked nothing like the man who played the Phantom. His face was gaunter and much longer, no to mention his eyes were a different color, electric blue. His hair was jet black and he had long bangs that hung in front of his eyes in almost an elegant manner. She took another bite out of her sandwich, still studying the man. He was, however, just as skinny as the actor if not skinnier.

"I shall try to find a way to get you back, Erik." Nicole stated, walking over to the bookshelf and taking a book out. Erik smiled.

"Thank you. It would be most appreciated." He said, bowing his head.

"But while you are here…." Nicole continued looking up from the pages she was flipping through. "I'm going to make sure you have the best time of your life!" she ended excitedly.

* * *

**End Notes**

-I actually don't know if Starbucks has pasteries or not. I don't go there much. lol.

- Erik is a little emotional in this chapter...but hell, I would be too.

-Please don't ask why he's not speaking French. For I won't have an answer. If he was speaking French then we wouldn't be able to understand him now would we?

- Nicole and Charo's appartment is one of the nicer ones...so yes they have some cha-ching in the bank. He he he.

Thank you again! please review!


	3. Enjoyable Escapades

**Author Note**

Thank you so much to all my awesome reviewers! And yes, for those of you who knew me as Kitariki, I have changed my pen name. Sorry for any confusion! Okay, I will not be able to update for at least a week. (at the most) So I'm sorry if this next chapter takes a while to get posted. I hope you like this one! If Erik seems clumsy, stop to think. He was just wisked away into the 21st century. He hasn't quite gotten his bearings yet...but don't worry! He'll come around!

Black Isis

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Chapter 2- Enjoyable Escapades

Erik rolled over, trying to become comfortable when he felt nothing but air. He let out a yelp before tumbling off the couch. He let out a grunt as he collided with the floor, his mask making a threatening clink against the wood. Nicole sat up immediately from he slouched seating position over the table.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, looking over at Erik who lay sprawled across the floor.

"I, uh, fell." Erik said a little embarrassed. Nicole smiled warmly.

"You're not hurt are you?" she asked, putting her pencil down. Erik shook his head, beginning to stand.

Nicole picked her pencil back up and continued her writing. Erik studied her for a moment. Her long blonde hair had been pulled back into a clip of some kind, allowing it to cascade down her back. Her blue eyes were slightly clouded with the need for sleep and there were dark circles beneath her eyes.

"How long have I been asleep?" Erik asked, scratching the back of his head. Nicole looked over at the clock on the microwave.

She sighed. "Oh about seven or eight hours." She said nonchalantly, diligently continuing her work. Erik blinked. He looked out the large window on the opposite wall. The sky was somewhat dark, street light shining down below and some of the windows in the tall buildings were lit up with a yellowish light.

"Oh…when did I fall asleep?" he asked, unable to remember much.

Nicole sighed again, slamming her pencil down on the table.

"I don't know, Erik, most likely around one in the afternoon." She huffed. "Now if you would mind putting an end to the question and answer real quick, I would like to try and figure out how the space time continuum thing works so we can get you home, okay?" she said, smiling perkily in a sardonic fashion. Erik's eyes narrowed.

"You need sleep." He stated, walking over to her with a furrowed brow.

"No I don't need sleep." She retorted, rolling her eyes. Before she could do anything, Erik had snatched the pencil out of her hand and lifted her to her feet.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" she yelled, struggling enough to make it look convincing.

"You need to go to bed. You can work on that tomorrow. I am fine at the moment." He protested. He walked her into her room; the purple walls looked black as the sky slowly faded into night. The unmistakable scent of Nicole's perfume reached Erik's nostrils causing him to smile a little. It reminded him of apples.

"Wait, I was going to let you stay in my bed tonight…" Nicole continued, wrenching free from Erik's grip. Erik blushed, backing away.

"E-excuse me?" he said, stunned at the thought. Nicole's eyes narrowed.

"..And I would have stayed on the couch you pervert." She growled.

Erik blushed even more, scowling to hide it. "That's not what I meant. I didn't even think anyone would let me stay in their home, much less their own bed." He explained. Nicole's expression softened.

"You are a guest in mine and Charo's home, and you are to be treated as one." She affirmed, placing a hand on Erik's shoulder.

"Now, I think you would be much more comfortable…"

"No, Nicole, you will stay in you own bed. I shall take the settee." He said admirably.

"It's a little small…"

"I'll be fine."

"Let me get some sheets."

"No, no, you need to go to bed."

"But…"

"Now." He argued, pointing to Nicole's four poster bed.

She huffed, but walked over obediently.

"Goodnight….Erik" she said, somewhat annoyed.

"Goodnight Nicole." He answered teasingly before closing the door. He walked back down the hall, passing Charo's door to hear music playing. He stopped at once, leaning in close to listen. The music sounded as if it was just people talking, not really singing at all. He tried to understand what they were saying, but it was almost as if they were speaking another language. He picked up a few things but could not understand the rest. The only line he caught was _"I'll take you to the Candy Shop"_. The rest was an incomprehensible jumble of words, spoken in a monotone voice.

He shuddered, walking away quickly wondering how anyone could listen to that. Upon approaching the couch, he realized that Nicole was quite right. Erik would be rather cramped tonight. He had not noticed as much when he had fallen asleep earlier, but now the squichy cough looked twice as small.. He walked over, making sure not to bang his knee on the coffee table like he had earlier causing him to utter nineteenth century profanity as he hopped about on one foot. He flopped down, sinking into the squishy material. He lowered himself gently onto his side, curling his knees up so he fit.

The edges of the white mask cut into the side of his face. He winced, sitting back up. He ran two fingers down the chipped porcelain face thoughtfully. He sighed. _It's a little risky… _he said to himself, but ended up taking the mask off anyways, remembering how Nicole said she didn't care. He lay back down, pressing the right side of his face deep into a pillow to conceal it. His eyes darted about one last time before he closed them and reluctantly fell asleep once more.

Nicole woke to the sound of Erik falling off the couch, nineteenth century profanity, Charo screaming, a porcelain clink, and a repetitive "I'm sorry" coming from Charo's side. She stretched lazily, running her hands through her hair only to realize that she desperately needed a shower. She threw back the covers and hopped out of bed quickly, ignoring the somewhat painful head rush.

She stumbled down the hallway to find Erik on his knees, his hands over his face even though his mask was on. Charo was standing behind him patting his back muttering words of comfort.

"I'm really sorry Erik, I wasn't expecting you to…not have your mask on." She ended lamely, unable to find the appropriate thing to say. Nicole rolled her eyes, walking over and pulling Erik's hands away from his face.

"Stop the monster act, okay?" she said, leaning back on her heels to pull him to his feet. He looked at her wide eyed. She smiled warmly.

"Now, I'm going to go take a shower." She informed. Charo nodded, her face a deep scarlet, and walked quickly into her room. Nicole looked back at Erik.

"It won't take long, okay? Then I have a few things I need to do. You can come if you would like." She said, letting go of Erik's hands, which she found were still tightly being held in her own.

Erik's eyes followed her as she made her way down the hall, turning right into a small room. He sat back down on the small couch. Everything was so different in the future; people were not afraid of him, women wore pants, there was no longer a need for candles, and there were strange devices that were oddly placed around the apartment. Who ever knew there would be a devise made for solely toasting toast? Though the refrigerator was quite a likeable feature. Erik's ears perked up at the sound of someone singing. He looked down the hall to attempt to locate the source of the sound.

Getting up, he silently walked down the hall, stopping in front of the closed door Nicole had disappeared behind. He pressed his ear up against it to hear Nicole singing softly. She had a low, sultry voice and was singing a slow song.

"_Mother will start to worry,_

_Father will be pacing the floor,_

_So really I'd better scurry,_

_While maybe just a half a drink more…"_

Erik turned the egg shaped iron door knob to be hit in the face by steam and the sound of rain. A steamy white room came into view. Nicole's singing became louder and Erik realized it was coming from behind a white curtain.

"_Baby it's cold outside!" _she sang loudly.

"Nicole?" Erik asked. Nicole poked her head out from behind the curtain, water dripping down her face and her hair soaked.

"ERIK!" she screamed. Erik jumped, falling back out of the door. He landed hard on his rear.

"Sorry!" he yelled, closing the door.

Charo ran out of her room.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly. She immediately analyzed the situation.

"You can't go in the bathroom when she's showering!" Charo exclaimed.

"Oh…" Erik said, getting up and brushing himself off. "Forgive me, I didn't know." He said, scurrying away from the door. He sat there twiddling his thumbs and starring at his feet until he heard Nicole approach him.

"Why did you come in the bathroom?" she asked calmly. Erik looked up at her reluctantly. She was wearing short gray shorts and a blue and gray striped sleeveless shirt.

"I…I heard you singing." He said, straightening up. Nicole crossed her arms. Her hair was wrapped up tightly in a white towel that reminded Erik somewhat of Nadir.

"So me being naked had nothing to do with it?" she asked sarcastically, her face red still glistening with water droplets. Erik's eyes widened.

"I didn't know you were…uh…" he stuttered. Nicole uncrossed her arms.

"Oh, I keep forgetting." She said, somewhat softer than before. "You probably need a shower yourself." She said beginning to walk away.

"But it is not raining." Erik said looking out the window. Nicole stopped.

She sighed. "Okay, follow me." She said, turning back around and grabbing Erik's hand once again. Even though his hands were icy cold, she kept feeling the need to hold them. She led him to the bathroom but could not enter when she found Erik wouldn't budge.

"What's wrong?" she asked, turning to look at him. His eyes shifted.

"Is it safe to enter?" he asked warily. Nicole let a huge smile spread across her face at his utter cuteness.

"Yeah, it's all good now." She said, pulling Erik into the still slightly steamy bathroom. He looked around wildly, his eyes finally landing on his reflection in the mirror.

"Am I really that pale?" he asked, touching his skeletal cheek. Nicole looked like a beach babe compared to Erik. She was not the tannest person in the world, but she was not as pale and sunlight deprived as he was.

"I'm afraid you are." Nicole sighed, turning and placing a hand on his cheek as well. It was so cold.

"Now, would you like me to show you how this works?" she asked, walking over and pulling back the shower curtain.

Erik's upper lip curled with distaste.

"It's a little small…I will be crushed if the walls cave in." he stated, stepping closer to study the beautifully carved plastic tiles. (A/N: ah, the wonders of sarcasm…)

Nicole sniggered. "I don't believe it will be crushing you any time soon. Now pay attention, it can be slightly tricky. Don't want you having any burns on you now." Nicole explained, showing Erik how running water actually worked these days. The whole time, she could not help but blush; for it was rather embarrassing teaching a grow man how to use a shower.

Later that day, after Erik had successfully taken a shower without being crushed by the shower walls, Charo suggested that they went out for dinner tonight since they had school tomorrow.

"Come on, let him see a little of the New York nightlife!" Charo gently persuaded. Nicole had crossed her arms and stood with her back to Charo in an attempt to amplify her disagreement.

"No. Totally out of the question!" she exclaimed. "Do you know what might happen? He isn't from our time period!" she continued. Charo rolled her eyes, in turn crossing her arms as well.

"You really think he's from 1860?" she asked sarcastically. Nicole spun around.

"No I don't think he's from 1860, I think he's from 1870! There's a difference!" Nicole yelled.

"Well he was obviously in the 1860's at one point in his life!" Charo retorted loudly. Erik strained his ears in the room next door, trying to pick up the girl's conversation. He gently tapped on the wall with his knuckles until he found a hollow spot to press his ear against. Charo was speaking, obviously upset and annoyed.

"Well aren't you the perfect little phan girl. This is probably your dream come true! I remember when you were obsessed with the play…"

"This isn't the play we're talking about! This is a real man's life!" Nicole roared back. Charo sighed, her eyes becoming large in a puppy dog like manner.

"Please? I promise nothing bad will happen." She tried again, attempting to change the subject. Nicole sighed, walking over and sitting on the bed. She rested her head in her hands, her hair falling daintily through her long fingers.

"Fine." She sighed. "But I will have to ask Erik first." She left the room walking into the one next door to find Erik with his ear pressed up against the wall and his mask barely on his face.

He stood up immediately, situating his mask and smoothing back his hair. Nicole raise an eyebrow, not only out of curiosity, but because Erik also looked mighty fine. She had lent him a large forest green T shirt her brother had accidentally left. It was almost too large. It hung low around his neck, exposing quite a deal of his collar bone. He still had his own pants on, however; black dress pants. Nicole really had to use willpower to keep from doing anything she would later regret.

"Uh Erik, would you like to go see the town tonight?" she asked weakly. Erik's face blanched slightly.

"You mean leave your apartment again? Will we ride in the horseless carriage?" he asked, obviously not a fan of Nicole's deep blue Tiburon. She smiled and shook her head.

"No I think we'll walk this time." She reassured.

* * *

**End Notes**

- Ha ha, after reading over the shower scene it really reminded me of the movie Elf...but when I first thought of it I had no intention of it turning out like that. I just love to sing that song in the shower. Tehe!

- I assumed Erik would be very good at evesdropping. Though he does not have any nifty hiding places in Nicoles appartment...I'm sure he'll manage. lol.

- Oh and Nicole isn't as stupid as she sounds. Ha ha!

Thank you again to all my wonderful reviewers! I'll post chapter 3 as soon as I get a chance!


	4. The Nose

**Author Note:**

Hey thank you to all my AWESOME reviewers! You guys rock! I would name you individually...but according to the rules...I can't. You know who you are and just know that I appreciate you SO SO MUCH! Sorry it took so long to update! School is a bitch!

Black Isis

* * *

Chapter 3- The Nose

Nicole's makeup brushes swept swiftly across the lid of her eyes leaving a light shimmer of pink behind. She rummaged through her makeup bag, finally pulling out a dark pink to go with it. Nicole was known for many things. Her elaborate makeup designing was one of them. At school, many of the girls told her she should drop out and become a makeup artist. She usually politely declined, saying she could always just do the makeup on her models.

"Hey, if you don't hurry up, we're going to be late." Charo scolded, bursting into Nicole's room. Nicole scowled at her.

"You're just lucky Erik came in dress cloths. He wouldn't have gotten away with wearing a dingy forest green T-shirt in The Nose." She rattled, continuing to apply her makeup, adding gold swirls around the edge of her eye with a thin pencil. Charo rolled her eyes. Her light purple dress fitted nicely to her long slender body and ruffled around her knees, creating an exotic feel to it.

"It has a name, you know." She continued, walking over to a mirror to make sure her hair looked okay.

"Yes, yes,it's some Italian name that I can never remember. Isn't it just easier to say The Nose?" Nicole asked, turning to look at Charo while she fumbled with a large hoop earring. Nicole's dress was several shades of pink that faded into one another with beads lining the bottom.

Charo turned to leave. "I suppose, it just sounds weird." She admitted. "Who wants to eat at a place called The Nose?" she asked. Just then, Nicole's stomach voiced its opinion loudly. Charo giggled.

"I do." Nicole answered, getting up and stepping into her shoes. "Come now, let me go see how Erik cleaned himself up." She said, taking Charo's arm and leading her out of her room.

Erik sat on the couch, his nose crinkled in disgust. He had attempted to use some sort of gel on his hair that Charo gave him. Now he smelt of a sickly sweet strawberry scent that made him want to gag. Well, at least his hair was not all in his face. Hopefully people would not confuse him for that damn fop. His attention was drawn to the other side of the room as Nicole and Charo came down the hall, their heels clicking loudly. Erik was taken aback.

"Are you aloud to wear a dress that has been cut off like that?" he asked perplexedly, getting to his feet. "Your calves are showing!" he exclaimed. Charo stepped behind Nicole, feeling very exposed in her dress now.

"Maybe we should have just gone to McDonalds." She whispered into Nicole's ear. Nicole shrugged. "My wallet would have appreciated it." she retorted, striding over to Erik and looping her arm around his.

"Do not worry, Mr. Phantom, it is perfectly okay to show our calves in the 21st century." She said, smiling sweetly.

Erik shifted his weight, uncomfortable with Nicole touching his arm like that. Nicole smirked, holding tighter.

"Come! I am very hungry." she said, motioning with her head to Charo.

"Right then," Erik said sheepishly, walking out of the apartment with the two girls, Nicole's arm still looped tightly in his. Nicole raised an eyebrow and craned her neck up to Erik's face. He jumped, his heart beginning to pound in his ears as her face drew closer to his.

"You smell like strawberries." She said bluntly. Charo snorted in a very unladylike manner. Erik scowled.

"I do not know what kind of stuff your friend gave me, but I now reek of it." he spat, annoyed that Nicole could smell it so blatantly. Nicole let out a small chuckle.

"Don't worry; I had to be right next to you to smell it, if that's what you're worried about." She reassured.

Erik gawked at the flashing lights of Time Square. He was practically looking up the whole time they walked to The Nose. The sky was beginning to fall into night, the twilight zone.

"Erik, normal people look where they are going when they walk." Nicole said through clenched teeth as she, once again, prevented Erik from stumbling into the busy street.

"If you haven't noticed, Mademoiselle, I am far from normal." He spat, cringing as a taxi driver blew his horn loudly. Nicole sighed, taking Erik's hand in her own. He glanced at her, wondering what she was up to. Her expression had changed to a soft, gentle look.

"I know you are not normal, Erik." She said quietly, almost unheard over the noise of the city around them. "But I am not normal either." She mumbled.

Erik thought over in his head what Nicole had just said. Around him, the sights and smells of New York City made him some what sick to his stomach. Every once in a while he would catch the sent of rotten eggs or body odor. All around him cars honked loudly at one another and steam shot up from little greats in the street. People sat in rags on almost every corner, begging for money. Erik thought he had dismal living conditions.

"The future does not smell very good. Is it like this everywhere?" he asked remorsefully. Nicole shook her head. "No not everywhere. In my home town, it is full of country side and fresh air. Perhaps you will get to see it, depending on how long you stay with me….I mean in the future." She corrected quickly, blushing slightly.

They soon approached a restaurant with a large sculpture of a nose over the entrance. Erik let out a chuckle.

"Is that a nose?" he asked, amused at the very thought of it. Charo and Nicole giggled as well.

"Yes, actually it is." Charo said, walking up to the desk.

"Wait until we get inside." Nicole whispered in Erik's ear. Her hot breath sent shivers down Erik's spine.

"Tryon and Memonsyne, party of three." She said to the man. His eyes darted to the paper in front of him. He looked back up at Charo, smirking.

"I'm sorry, Madam, it does not seem to be on the list." He said plainly. Charo returned his smirk with one of her own, leaning casually on the pedestal.

"Oh my, what ever shall we do?" she asked in a mock worried tone. The man leaned forward.

"I might be able to let you in if you did me a favor." He whispered grinning. Charo leaned forward and ardently planted a kiss on the man's lips.

"Hopefully that will suffice!" she said, laughing. The man leered and nodded, his blue-green eyes sparkling with life.

"How are you, Jamsie-poo?" Nicole asked from behind Charo. The man peered around his girlfriend, spotting Nicole and Erik. He raised an eyebrow at Erik's masked but decided to keep the question to himself.

"Fine, thank you, and you Nicole?" he asked politely.

Nicole shrugged. "Living, I suppose." She answered nonchalantly.

"Who is your date?" he asked, his eyes falling on her hand which was still intertwined with Erik's. Nicole's face turned scarlet.

"Oh no, no, no! He's just a….friend." she said, pulling her hand away. James looked at the two, bemused.

"Please, James, can you show us to our seats now?" Charo asked becoming impatient.

"Of course! Allow me to escort you, Miss Tryon." He said, taking Charo's arm in his. Erik thought that this was mandatory and took Nicole's in his own.

"What are you doing?" Nicole asked in a harsh whisper.

"Escorting you." He answered in a low voice. The inside of the restraint was decorated with various sculptures of parts of the human body. On one wall, there was a large sculpture of a breast. Erik cocked an eyebrow, his eyes scanning all the tables they passed. He only got a few stares, but none lasted too long.

"What's that mommy?" a little girl asked loudly, pointing at the sculpture of the breast.

"Nothing dear." The mother answered, pulling her child back over to the dinner table. Erik laughed quietly, fascinated at everything around him.

"Here is your table. A waiter will be with you momentarily." James announced. He kissed Charo on the cheek before leaving to return to his post.

"Friend of yours?" Erik asked as he sat across from Charo and Nicole.

Charo giggled. "Yeah, he's my soul mate." Charo said dreamily, her eyes glazing over.

"That's what the gypsy told her." Nicole explained. Erik's face blanched, his eyes becoming wide. Nicole covered her mouth with her hand immediately.

"What, what is it?" Charo asked, snapping out of her trance as she saw the two's reaction. Nicole picked up her menu and buried her head behind it.

"Charo, I want the chicken fettuccini and a sweat tea." Nicole said quickly. She slammed her menu down and got up from the table.

"Come with me." She instructed, grabbing Erik's hand and pulling him quickly through the restaurant and back outside.

"Something wrong Nicole, dearest?" James asked as they passed him.

"Nothing James. Mind your own goddamn business." Nicole spat, pulling Erik off to the side of the street. James sighed, turning back to the customers who approached him.

Nicole wheeled on Erik, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed, throwing her arms around Erik's neck. Erik was slightly shocked at her action. He patted her back numbly.

"There now, you didn't know…" he said shakily, memories still flooding his mind. Nicole shook her head.

"No, Erik, I did know. I just wasn't thinking! Oh God this is some mood swing I'm having." She said backing away. "Please forgive me. It must be that time of month again." She said darkly. Erik was now utterly confused.

"Um, shall we go back inside?" he asked feebly. Nicole sniffed loudly before looping her arm through Erik's once again.

"Yes, lets." She said softly, leaning her head into his arm.

Even though both had agreed, neither one moved. Erik was frozen to the spot as Nicole bunched the sleeve of his jacket up in her fists, nuzzling into his arm. She closed her eyes, taking in Erik's smell. He did not smell of death, as Leroux had described; actually, it reminded her of the smell in the air right before it rained. The smell when the rain first falls, soaking the ground ever so slightly.

"N-nicole?" Erik stuttered. Nicole opened her eyes, releasing Erik's arm quickly.

"Sorry, let's go back inside…" she stopped as soon as she felt Erik take her arm back. She looked up at him.

"I shall escort you." He said, smiling ever so slightly.

Once back inside, the evening carried on as is was supposed to. Charo did not dare to question what all the fuss was about seeing Nicole's reaction to the whole ordeal. The dinner was delicious and James came over and sat with them for the remainder of the meal.

"We better go." Charo suggested, standing up. James pouted melodramatically.

"Can't you stay a little longer?" he whined. Charo rolled her eyes.

"You are such and over actor." She exclaimed, running her hand's through his black hair. Nicole and Erik exchanged looks of exasperation.

"Okay, please, no PDA. I just ate." Nicole said. Charo scowled.

"I don't see you with your boyfriend." Charo retorted. Nicole's expression darkened, her fists clenching into tight balls.

"That's because he was a royal prick and I broke up with him on Friday; but thank you for bringing it up for it is a fond memory that I enjoy discussing!" Nicole growled through clenched teeth. Everyone starred as Nicole left the table.

"Here's your fucking tip." She spat, throwing six dollars at James before stomping off.

The three just watched her for a moment before James turned to Erik.

"Are you going to go after her? Like hell she wants to see me right now..." he said, exasperated at the thought.

"Am I supposed to?" he asked, puzzled at the question. Charo looked like she was on the verge of crying.

"Please do. Who knows what could happen to her at this time of night. She could be kidnapped or robbed…" she said worriedly. Erik nodded solemnly and left the table.

Out on the street, Nicole leaned up against the side wall, tears running down her face. It was such a mistake. Why did she ever have to fall in love with that man when all he would do was…

"Nicole?" Erik's voice came from beside her. Nicole's heart sped up. _Maybe he was worried about me! _She thought excitedly. She turned her head slowly to look at him, her eyes still gushing with tears.

"What is your pain?" he asked, obviously not skilled in counseling. Nicole smiled weakly.

"Could you take a walk with me?" she asked softly. Erik wasn't sure how to respond. He simply returned her smile.

"Of course." He replied.

"Sorry you had to see that back there." Nicole said, looking at her feet as they walked. "I just loose my temper sometimes." She explained.

"Mademoiselle, you are speaking to someone who is very familiar with losing their temper." Erik assured. Nicole laughed.

"Yes, I know." She said, walking closer.

"How?" Erik asked. Nicole looked up at him.

"How do you know? How do you know all these things about me?" he continued, putting his black gloves back on. Nicole sighed.

"Come with me. We are not far from the theatre." She said, taking Erik's hand once again and leading him through the crowd.

"This is how." She said, leading Erik up to the front of the Broadway Theatre. Erik stepped forward, looking at the advertisement behind the glass encasing.

"The Phantom of the Opera?" he asked perplexedly. "But, that…this is….there is a story about me?" He turned back to Nicole. She nodded dazedly. He turned back to the advertisement.

"One of the most tragic love stories of our time…" he read aloud. His eyes narrowed. "So that's what I am in the future? A tragic figure in a haunting love story." He spat, slamming his fist against the glass.

"Erik, you are adored by thousands of people." Nicole began. "You are admired and…and loved by the public, many of whom never even new you existed." She continued, walking up and placing a hand on his shoulder. He did nothing in response.

"Erik, in the future The Phantom of the Opera is known and loved, not hated." She explained. She felt Erik shudder under her grip. He whirled around, grabbing Nicole and holding her in a tight embrace.

"Then I do not want to go back. I want to stay in the future." He whispered, his head buried in her hair.

"You have to go back." Nicole said gravely.

"But….oh Christine. Does she love me in the story? Do we live happily ever after?" he asked, still clutching Nicole to him. She snaked her arms up around his neck.

"No, Erik, you do not." She said quietly.

James put his arm around Charo's shoulders, kissing her head.

"Come on now, you always act like everything is your fault." He said in an attempt to pull Charo out of her sniveling state.

"But most of the time it is!" she whined.

"Liar." James continued, holding her closer.

"Who is this Erik anyway?" he asked, more than just curiosity in the tone of his voice. Charo shrugged.

"I don't even know. He appeared on Friday night; at least that's what Nicole said." Charo explained.

"And is there a reason he wears a mask?" James asked, sounding somewhat amused.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure there is…" was Charo's reply.

"Come Erik, do you want to take a taxi home?" Nicole asked weakly. Erik trudged slowly at her side.

"You show me so much kindness." He said softly. "You say that I am loved and adored yet you are the only one who looks on me with love." He concluded dismally. Nicole's eyebrows crinkled in remorse as she bit her lower lip nervously.

"Well…people don't know it's the real you! There are people out there who are probably just….just….okay, you are going to find this hard to believe, but just try to be like you!" she finished, grimacing at the look of pure sorrow on Erik's face.

"Why would anyone want to be like me? Look at me! I am a mon-"

"DON'T EVEN SAY IT!" Nicole roared holding a hand up in an attempt to block Erik from her veiw. Erik's eyes became wide as he stumbled backwards in shock. Nicole looked as if she would burst into flames at any moment.

"Your just a human Erik, not a monster." She said, her voice shaking. "You need to just get all that 'I'm a pitiful ugly monster' shit out of your head…because…because…" she stammered.

"Because…?" Erik questioned timidly. Nicole stepped forward, placing her hands on the sides of his face.

"Because you are one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen." She whispered, her eyes glistening in the street lights. Erik felt his breath flee him. No one had ever called him anything remotely near beautiful.

"Nicole…" he began, his eyes soft with compassion. Before he had a chance to make a move, Nicole had turned away.

"Come, we need to get home." She said, walking forward. Erik sighed. _She says it, but does she mean it? _He asked him self, following her quietly. Nicole stepped onto the curb of the sidewalk, waving her arm about wildly.

"HEY! BASTARD!" Nicole yelled at the taxi that zoomed past her outstretched arm. "DAMN IT!" she shrieked, drawing the attention of several passing people to the pair.

"Nicole, why don't we take that?" Erik said, motioning to the carriage that had just pulled up to the side of the street.

"That's for tours." Nicole explained in a low voice. "I don't know if he'd go outside his rout." She said gloomily.

"Well, let us find out." Erik said, grabbing Nicole by the arm and dragging her over.

"Excuse me, sir, would you be able to drive this woman and myself home?" he asked politely to the grimy looking man who drove the carriage. The man gave them a toothy smile.

"Of course, my lovelies; I haven't had much business tonight, so I won't charge extra." He answered gleefully. Nicole exhaled, returning the kind, but in desperate need of a dentist, smile.

"Thank you, sir." Nicole said, bowing deeply. Erik raised an eyebrow at her sweeping bow before helping her into the carriage.

"It's an old habit of mine to bow." She said, knowing that Erik was a little puzzled.

"Ah, I see." He acknowledged, sitting down beside her.

The carriage lurched forward with the gentle coaxing of the driver. Erik let out a sigh of relief as he leaded his head back into the seat.

"This is more like it." he exclaimed. Nicole giggled, grabbing hold of his arm.

"Hey, thanks." She said smiling. Erik moved his head ever so slightly as to get a better look at Nicole.

"Thanks for what?" he asked. Nicole leaned into his shoulder.

"Thank you for coming out after me." She whispered. "I just need someone sometimes." Erik shifted his weight.

"I think we all do." He replied. Nicole smiled, pressing her face into his shoulder. Erik sighed again.

"I never got a chance to tell you what a good singer you are. With a little work, you could be very good. The best." He continued. Nicole laughed.

"Me? I've never had a single voice lesson in my life!" she exclaimed. Erik smirked.

"Well since you know so much about me, tell me what I do best?" he asked cynically. Nicole snorted. "Well let's see. You're skilled in architecture, composing, trap doors, killing people…." Nicole rattled. The carriage driver made a small noise and the carriage sped up a little.

"Well, all those are true..." Erik confessed wearily. "But you're leaving out one thing."

"Singing, duh. Voice lessons and all that jazz." Nicole spouted immediately, crossing her legs. Erik chuckled.

"I guess you do know a lot about me." He acknowledged.

"I'd like to learn more." Nicole said sheepishly. Erik felt his blood rush to his face.

"Perhaps you will." He said shakily.

Finally, the two reached Nicole's apartment.

"I really need to get to bed." Nicole informed Erik. "Cause I have school tomorrow." She explained further. Erik nodded.

"So, um, I'm going to leave you here at the apartment. My classes are just from ten to three so you won't be alone long. You'll be okay right?"

"Fine. You need to sleep." Erik assured, looking at the clock. "Is it really three in the morning?" he asked.

"Actually it's two. That clock needs to be changed." She corrected. Erik nodded once again, sitting down on the couch.

"Good night Nicole." Erik said, lying back on the couch and closing his eyes.

"Good night…Erik." Nicole replied, turning down the hall.

Before she opened her door, she froze. Turning to the hall closet she opened it and pulled out a blanket. She walked briskly, yet silently, over to Erik and tucked the blanket around him. Erik's eyes opened long enough to see Nicole walking away. He smiled to himself before turning over. _So she does mean it. _

* * *

**End Note:**

- The Nose was actually a restraunt I've been to (I just couldn't remember the name) and the little girl was actually something I did. Yep...I pointed at a large breast and asked my mom if it was a belly button...(sigh).

- Erik is loosening up slightly. He still appears to be very awquward though. He will return to his old self eventually though...notice I say eventually.

-Updates will take longer than usual because I have a lot of homework to juggle and a very busy squedual. At tops I'll update once a week (hopefully).

-Thanks again for all the amazing reviews!

Black Isis


	5. Learn to be Happy

Chapter 4- Learn to be Happy

Erik woke somewhat early. He looked over at the clock on the bookshelf by the window. It read ten o'clock. _Damn, Nicole's already left. _He said to himself sitting up and rubbing his eye that wasn't covered by the mask.

"Mornin'" Nicole said cheerfully with a slightly southern accent. Erik jumped as he spied her sitting at the table.

"How long were you sitting there? Aren't you supposed to be at school?" he asked. "Wait…you go to school. Since when do women…?"

"Since someone stood up and said women should have equal rights." Nicole answered, taking a sip from her coffee. Erik rubbed his temples and groaned.

"Headache?" Nicole asked, looking up from the book she was reading. Erik nodded. Nicole got up and briskly walked over to him.

"Hold still, otherwise it might hurt a little." Nicole instructed grabbing Erik's hand.

"What? Why will it hurt?" Erik asked in a panicked tone of voice. Nicole scowled.

"Just relax, I won't be able to do it if your muscles are all tightened!" she exclaimed irritably. Erik sighed, trying as hard as possible to relax.

Nicole ran her middle finger from Erik's wrist to down in between his thumb and finger. She pinched the skin hard making Erik gasp, but as soon as she let go Erik's headache had been lifted. He looked up at the girl.

"What are you?" he asked. Nicole let out a chuckle, walking back over to the table. Her body swayed back and forth as she walked in a slightly seductive way causing her waterfall of strawberry blonde hair to glisten in the orange light of the sunrise. Her uniquely patterned skirt ruffled around her ankles as she walked and her black, turtleneck shirt fit tightly to her upper body.

"A human, Erik, just like you." She answered.

She spun back around quickly.

"Wanna see something cool?" she asked, smirking. Her blue eyes glistened with life and happiness.

"I'm actually quite content with the temperature right now." Erik said. Nicole snorted.

"Come on." She said grabbing his hand and leading him over to the window. She swung it open and climbed out onto the fire escape.

"Follow me…and don't look up my skirt!" she said, beginning to climb the ladder to the roof. Erik sighed, turning his head away as he followed her.

Once on the roof, Nicole led Erik over to the edge of the building.

"New York is actually very beautiful to watch when the sun is coming up and when the sun is going down." Nicole said, biting her lower lip as she finished. A breeze gusted by and blew her hair back behind her as well as Erik's. Nicole closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the feel of the wind on her face.

"What is it like?" Erik asked softly. Nicole turned to him, her hair blowing wildly about her face.

"What is what like?" she inquired curiously, attempting to tuck her hair behind her ear. Erik looked away, his eyes downcast ad his black hair ruffled about his face. Finally he looked back up at her.

"What is it like to be happy?" Erik answered. Nicole felt her heart stop. Her mouth hung open slightly and her eyebrows creased in sorrow. Erik just stood there, expressionless, waiting for her reply. His eyes looked hollow and without life as he looked at her.

"Maybe…you can learn what it is like to be happy." Nicole said shakily. Erik blinked and turned away, looking back over the New York landscape.

"Perhaps…" he said softly.

"Okay, this is my cell phone number. Only call me if it's an emergency. Do you know what makes it an emergency?" Nicole asked the slightly dazed Erik. He shook his head.

"Blood, Fire, or Death." She explained, handing Erik the piece of paper. "Now I have to go or I'll be late. I'll see you at three and then I shall take you to get some new cloths. You can take a shower if you'd like, now that you know how. Okay, don't get into trouble. Bye!" The door slammed in Erik's face. He looked feebly at the paper in his hand then back at the door.

"But I don't know how to use the telephone." he said softly.

Nicole didn't come back to answer him. He let out a sigh and trudged back to the bathroom to take a shower as Nicole suggested. He took off his mask and set it down on a small table just outside the bathroom. He wouldn't need it if no one was here, but something in the pit of his stomach told him he should have kept it on. It was probably nothing. He always felt as if he needed to have it on. Nicole clearly showed him differently.

"Now, let's see if I can remember this…" Erik said to himself as he bent down beside the shower. "This one is cold…" he mumbles as he turned one faucet and brushed a finger under the water. Pain shot up his arm as his finger felt as if it had been lit on fire. He yelped in pain, throwing himself back against the wall.

"No, no, obviously the other one is cold." He exclaimed, carresing his burnt finger.

With much trepidation, Erik managed to take his second shower in the 21st century. The warm water felt so incredibly good over his aching body that he felt as if he never wanted to get out. He let the water run over his face, free of any mask or confinement. _I think I can live with this. _He thought tauntingly, running his long fingers through his hair in an attempt to clean it. He felt himself smiling slightly. He hadn't enjoyed the last shower this much; maybe because he was in a state of shock last time.

After getting out, he wrapped the white towel tightly around his waist as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror. It had fogged over from the steam to where Erik was just a blurry outline. He rubbed ineffectively at the surface with his hand until he could see his reflection clearly. He leaned in closer to the mirror, inspecting the right side of his face. _How does she not fear this?_ He thought, running a finger around his eye. _Christine said she did not fear it anymore either. Is it possible…? _Erik began to think. The mirror was fogging up once again. He bared his teeth and ran his hand over the slick surface harder, this time to hear a small click.

To his surprise, and joy, he found that the mirror opened. He quickly swung it open, prepared to see a secret passage of some kind. Instead he was faced with a large box that read TAMPAX on the front and several other tubes and bottles. Erik let out a sigh. He moved the box aside just in case but found nothing. Out of pure curiosity, he flipped up the box lid to see what was in it. He was getting ready to pull out one of the wrapped parcels when a knock at the door made him jump, spilling the white sticks everywhere.

"Nicole, are you in there?" a girl's voice asked. It was timid and sweet sounding, as if the girl had never thought a bad thought against another in her life. Another round of knocks came, this time more forceful.

"Hey, if you don't come out, we're breaking the door down!" another voice said. This one was much louder, though still female. Erik's heart began to pound out of his chest. He bent down quickly and picked up the white sticks and shoved them onto the shelves in the mirror. He slammed it closed quickly causing the louder girl to go "Ah ha!" Erik scanned the room for his mask quickly.

"We know you're in there _Nicky_! Come out and play!" the louder girl said.

"Nicole, whose mask is this? I didn't know you still liked poto." The softer spoken girl said. Erik's blood ran cold. He had to say something. He cleared his throat, putting on his strongest voice.

"Nicole isn't here." He said, surprised at how squeaky he sounded. There was silence from the other side of the door for a moment.

"Then who the hell is this?" the louder girl asked.

"Kythe!" the softer girl scolded.

"What? I would just like to know who we are talking to." Kythe protested.

The other girl cleared her throat timidly.

"My name is Ren. I am a good friend of Nicole's. We were just stopping by to…"

"Are you stealing stuff?"

"Kythe, don't interrupt me please. We were just stopping by to see Nicole and Charo." Ren ended. Erik let out a sigh. When there was a pause, he decided to speak.

"Well, Nicole has gone to school." He informed them.

"So buddy, what are you doing in Nicole and Charo's bathroom?" Kythe asked, sounding annoyed.

"Kythe? Ren? What are you two doing here?" Charo's voice came from across the room. Erik let out an even bigger sigh.

"We were just stopping by to see you!" Ren answered.

"Ren, give me that mask." Charo said shakily. "Where's Erik?" she asked.

"I'm in here!" Erik answered. Suddenly the door opened ever so slightly and Charo's hand reached in holding Erik's mask. He took it from her quickly, slapping it over his face viciously.

"Are you decent?" Charo asked.

"CHARO'S BLUSHING! Are you cheating on James?" Kythe shouted teasingly.

"NO! He's Nicole's boy friend!" Charo shot back.

"Really? Nicole has another boy friend? I didn't think she'd ever get over Danny…oops." Outside the door, they had all gone silent. Erik quickly dressed and opened the door slowly. He was confronted with three girls, one of which was Charo. The other two just starred at him.

"Huh, so Nicole still goes for the freaks." Kythe said spitefully, crossing her arms. She had dirty blond hair that was pulled back into a long braid that stretched down past her lower back. She was taller than Nicole and Charo with a very curvy figure. Her sharp blue-grey eyes looked as if they saw right through Erik's mask. At least that was how he felt after her last statement. Charo waved her arms around.

"No, no! Don't call him that! Erik…it's uh…she didn't mean it." Charo explained desperately. Erik looked away.

"Am I really to believe that?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Whoa buddy, don't take it that personally. All Nicole's new boy friends get the Kythe treatment." She continued.

"I don't really understand the term you keep using." Erik spat.

"Well, uh, he's not really her boy friend. He's just sort of staying here until we can get him back to his own time period." Charo spouted. Kythe and Ren just starred at her for a moment before Charo came to her senses and slapped her hand over her mouth.

"You're reaction was slightly delayed." Erik said out of the corner of his mouth.

"Wait, so who is he?" Ren asked this time. Erik's eyes darted to the small girl. She had long brown hair that was pulled back into a perfect ponytail. Her eyes were blue as well, closer to Nicole's color only more of a true blue. Her face had a soft outline. It was very kind and made Erik feel much more comfortable.

"Forgive me." She said before Charo could answer. She turned to Erik. "Who are you?" she asked as politely as possible.

Erik was left without words for a moment. He had never been surrounded by so many women. It wasn't as nice as he had imagined it would be.

"I…um…I am Erik." He said lamely. Kythe snorted.

"Okay, what's your _real_ name?" she asked skeptically. Erik gave her a confused look. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not retarded. I know that the Phantom's name is Erik. You learn a few things when your friend is obsessed." She rattled. Charo nudged her in the arm.

"That is his real name." she said under her breath.

Kythe nodded slowly. "Oh…" Erik shifted his weight. His wet hair stuck to the back of his neck causing trickles of water to run down his lanky back.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Erik. My name is Ren Morrison; long time friend of Nicole." Ren said politely, holding out a soft, elegant hand. Erik took it and was about to kiss it when Ren shook his hand softly as a very feminine man would do. Erik realized that men must no longer kiss the hands of women at first meeting. He smiled weakly before turning to Kythe. She stood with her arms crossed, a look of annoyance on her face.

"I don't know what the hell Nicole's gotten herself into this time." Kythe said venomously. "But I guess I should introduce myself." She said, holding out a somewhat rougher hand. Erik took it cautiously.

"Pleased to meet you…uh…" Erik said nervously, stumbling on her name.

"…Kythe. Kythe Lanore." She said promptly.

"I sense that you don't like me very much. Is it my appearance?" Erik asked, feeling a little bolder.

Kythe shrugged. "No necessarily. I just don't want to see Nicole hurt again." She said darkly, her eyes narrowing in a very fox-like manner. Erik's expression changed into worry.

"Who has hurt Nicole?" he asked uneasily.

"Let's get off the subject." Charo interjected. "Nicole won't be home for a couple more hours so how about we go out for coffee or something! I haven't seen you guys in ages!" Charo exclaimed, lightening to mood with her sudden perkiness. Kythe smirked.

"Ooh, did you and James finally get a piece of that or is there another reason for your glee?" she cooed. Charo turned deep scarlet.

"I…uh….what…..no…..well…THAT'S NOT THE REASON!" she finally yelled. Kythe and Ren burst into laughter.

"Its okay, Charo, she doesn't mean it." Ren said, jabbing Kythe hard in the ribs with her elbow. She grunted and immediately became silent.

"I would like to know more about you, Erik. How did you come to meet Nicole? What are your hobbies?" Ren asked, turning to Erik with a gleam of interest in her eye. Erik took a step back slightly.

"What is there to be interested about? I…compose music." Erik said, shocked that anyone would even show interest in his existence besides Nicole. Ren beamed.

"How fascinating! What else?" she pressed. Erik glanced around uneasily taking another step back until his back brushed against the bathroom door.

"Perhaps we can finish this conversation over a hot cup of coffee?" Charo suggested hopefully, still slightly red in the face.

Ren nodded. "Let's!"

Erik found out something new today; he hated coffee. Erik sat in the small café with a look of disgust on his face as he peered at the dark drink that sat before him. Charo, Ren, and Kythe had basically forgotten of his existence and had sat there talking for over an hour. He had sat there quietly for the first forty five minutes, but now his patience was dwindling. His fingers drummed quickly across the table in boredom as he inspected his surroundings. People, people and more people.

His eyes flitted lazily to the door as someone entered. Her long, trim figure seemed somewhat familiar. Suddenly, Erik snapped up straight.

"Nicole?" he said quietly to himself. He swiftly left the table, gladly fleeing the jabbering girls, and made his way over to Nicole who had gotten in line. She was wearing a long, forest green skirt that hung loosely around her waist and gathered around her ankles. Her black, long sleeve shirt clung tightly to her torso and arms, the sleeves stretching past her wrists. She was busily reading a small book, her long bangs falling in her face while the rest of her hair was pulled back into a bun of some kind with many strands hanging loosely down her back.

Erik approached her swiftly from behind trying to stay silent. Nicole turned suddenly thinking he was a stalker.

"Look, buddy, I don't….Erik?" she exclaimed, her mood changing as she immediately recognized the masked man. Erik gave her a sincere look, a small smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

"Your friends will want to know you're here." he said soemly, jerking his head in the direction of the table behind him. Nicole swerved her head around him to see Kythe and Ren as well as Charo.

"Kythe and Ren are here?" Awesome! I…" Nicole stopped herself as she saw Erik's head drop slightly as if to say _Don't make me go back over there. Don't make me go back over there_ Erik thought silently to himself. Nicole smiled softly.

"I'll see them when I get home. Come, come have lunch with me." Nicole said, stepping up to place an order.

"Do you want anything Erik?" she asked, gazing up at the menu.

"Anything will be fine, but not coffee please." He answered politely.

Nicole picked a small table near the back of the café and led Erik silently over to it. She ate a small sandwich silently for a moment before looking up to see Erik looking off to the right. She smiled.

"You have a perfect profile." She said before thinking about it. Erik snapped his head back around giving her a confused look.

"I'm hardly perfect in any way." Erik mumbled angrily. Nicole let out a _ha_.

"Erik, everyone's perfect but no one likes to admit it. So we all get off with the lame 'nobody's perfect' excuse." She said plainly. Erik had never heard such a simple philosophy in his whole life. Yet it was somewhat true.

He looked off into the distance again. Nicole's expression darkened.

"Stop thinking about it." she said sternly. Erik turned his head back around slower this time.

"How…?" he began.

"I took a guess." Nicole blurted before he could finish. She twirled a spoon around in her tea. "You're somewhat predictable." She said without looking at him. Erik scowled.

"Oh really?" he growled. When Nicole didn't look up, he reached over and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

Nicole dropped the spoon she was holding, her eyes wide with fright. She trembled slightly under his grip but soon softened as she looked into his eyes.

"Why did that frighten you so?" Erik inquired softly. Before Nicole answered, Erik's eyes trailed down Nicole's neck where he spotted a large purple splotch, unmistakable a bruise. His long fingers trailed down her neck, caressing the soft outline and gently touching the spot. Nicole pulled back, her hand flying to her neck as shivers ran down her spine. She quickly pulled her turtleneck collar up closer to her chin.

"Who hurt you?" Erik asked in a low, worried voice, his eyebrows knitting together in concern.

"HEY NICOLE!" Kythe's voice boomed across the café, causing it to become somewhat quiet. Nicole and Erik turned to see Kythe waving a hand about in the air.

"Don't be shy!" she called. Nicole smiled weakly, getting up to join her friends.

"I thought you said they weren't dating." Kythe said, turning to Charo. Charo shrugged.

"They could be. He's only been here three days though." she said taking a long sip of hot chocolate. "Wow that's good." She finished, licking a remainder of foam off her upper lip.

"Child." Kythe sneered.

"Hey guys!" Nicole said excitedly, beginning to exchange hugs with Ren and Kythe. Ren's eyes fell on Erik.

"Sorry we never got a chance to finish our conversation. I hope you don't mind." She said politely. Erik shook his head numbly, his eyes darting back and fourth between the women.

"Actually I better hurry! I have about another hour of class left." Nicole said looking at her watch. Erik cocked an eyebrow.

"I thought you said class would be over at three." He said skeptically. Nicole shrugged off his remark.

"New schedule. This way we can get you some clothes. That green shirt is very flattering…" Nicole remarked sardonically. "…but it would be nice if you wore something else don't you think." Erik nodded again.

Nicole hugged her friends one last time. After all hugs were given, she turned to Erik. There was an awkward space between them that Nicole found herself wanting to close. There was a force she felt beating in her that was not there before. It began this morning, when she had taken Erik up on the roof. Too scattered to function properly, Nicole leaned in and kissed Erik on the cheek. Of course, she meant for it to be a short, chaste kiss; instead her lips linger, pulling away slower than intended. Her eyes drooped as she stepped back, gazing down at her feet. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, or Erik had a chance to respond, Nicole had turned on her heels and sped out of the café, her head down and the small book clutched to her chest.

Kythe let out a long whistle.

"Wow…she's got the hots for you man." She said plainly. Erik starred after Nicole for a moment before attempting to calculate what Kythe said.

"What!" he spat confusedly, turning to look at Kythe. Kythe chuckled.

"She must really like you!" Ren piped excitedly. "She's never kissed anyone like that before!" she squeaked.

"But it wasn't even on the lips and there was no tongue action!" Charo said as if it was something she expected in every kiss. Erik flushed slightly.

"Exactly!" Kythe said in a low voice, slamming her fist into her hands. The girls had now totally forgotten about Erik's presence.

"What do you mean exactly?" Ren asked curiously.

"I mean that it was a sweet kiss! Nicole has never given a sweet kiss before!"

"How do you know that?" Charo blurted. "Have you seen her every time?"

"Well no," Kythe confessed. "But it just isn't like Nicole!"

"I suppose not." Charo acknowledged, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"You know…that other man…he always just dove right in. He was never really affectionate towards her." Ren said quietly, wringing her hands. Charo and Kythe nodded slowly.

"It may not be my place to inquire, but who is this other man you are talking about?" Erik asked, trying not to sound as curious as he was. Kythe shot him a look.

"Nicole's old….uh….boy friend. He wasn't very good to her." Kythe said hesitantly. Erik scowled.

"What do you mean? Did he hit her?" he asked, taking a step forward in concern. "Is that what I saw on her neck? Were those bruises?" he asked, now sounding very worried.

"Whoa, she still has bruises?" Kythe asked, a new expression Erik had never seen spreading across her face. It looked like a mix of sadness and anger, something Erik could really relate to.

Erik nodded slowly. "I think that is what those were…" he said thoughtfully. Ren stomped loudly on the floor, her fists clenched.

"I am going to KICK HIS ASS!" She shrieked. The whole restaurant became silent as everyone starred at the small, brown haired girl.

Charo placed a hand on Ren's shoulder. Ren sighed.

"Sorry….sometimes being the quiet polite girl just doesn't cut it in certain situations." She said sounding defeated. Erik let out a laugh causing the three girls to stare at him.

"My dear girl," he said, still smiling in a wicked sort of way. "There are plenty of ways to take out your anger that do not involve screaming and making a scene." He said in a menacing voice.

They continued to stare at him for a moment until Kythe let out a loud "HA HA!"

"You really are the Phantom of the Opera, aren't you?" She asked, smiling at Erik for the first time. Erik smirked, now feeling much more comfortable. He bowed deeply.

"At your service." He said in an ominous voice. Ren hid behind Charo slightly while Kythe returned his smirk.

"Perhaps I shall like you after all…" she said thoughtfully, her eyes gleaming with mischief.


	6. Shop 'Till You Drop

Chapter 5 - Shop 'Till You Drop

Nicole lazily turned the key to her apartment. What the hell had she done that to Erik? What was his reaction going to be now? He was going to hate her. He was going to call her a ridiculous skank and slap her across the face.

"What am I thinking?" she asked herself aloud. "This is Erik, not…" she was unable to finish her sentence. For as she swung open the door, there stood Erik. Nicole took a step back.

"E-Erik!" she squeaked. Erik smiled weakly at her.

"Nicole, I-"

"No no, Erik, I'm sorry. I should have never….um….you see….it was just supposed to be a kiss on the cheek….I….I…" Nicole felt herself shaking.

Erik's brow had furrowed as he took a step forward, raising his hand. _Oh God, here is comes. _Nicole though , squeezing her eyes shut as she braced herself for impact. Instead of a hard slap, she felt Erik's hand run gently down her cheek. Nicole's eyes snapped open.

"Why are you shaking?" he asked, caressing the back of her neck. Tears welled up in Nicole's eyes.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" she screamed, beating on Erik's chest with her fists. Erik's eyebrows knitted together even more as he took all of he blows. They were weak and did not have an intention of harming him behind them.

"Nicole, I did not do anything…" Erik said darkly. Nicole suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Erik's torso.

"Gah!" Erik let out a yelp as they tumbled backwards. He landed hard against the wall outside of Nicole's apartment and slid down it with Nicole still attached. Now Erik was shaking.

"Erm….Nicole….uh…" He was about to brace her but stopped himself.

_What am I doing? _He asked himself. Nicole was straddling one of his legs, her skirt resting around her waist causing Erik to catch a glance at her bare thigh.

"Please…" she whimpered, sniffling her nose after her sentence. "…Hold me." She finished. Erik felt a warm, sticky substance ooze out of his nose.

"No, no!" he said quickly, a hand flying to his nose. Nicole let go of his torso to lean back and look at him. She let out a snort of shock and flew backwards off of his lap.

"What the hell?" she yelled. Blood was oozing through Erik's hand that covered his nose. His eyes trailed down past Nicole's waist.

Nicole's expression changed from shock to annoyance.

"I bet you enjoyed that! Didn't you, you pervert!" she yelled, getting to her feet. Erik shook his head, blood splattering his cheek a little.

"No! No! Please forgive me!" he pleaded, crawling over to Nicole's feet. Nicole looked at him for a moment, then began to laugh.

"I'm just joking." She explained, smiling widely." Come one, let's get you cleaned up." She said, helping Erik to his feet. She was still shaking slightly as they walked into her apartment.

The blood from his nose had gotten on the shirt he was wearing.

"What the hell happened out there?" Kythe asked wide-eyed. She, Charo, and Ren were sitting in the living room around the television.

"Nothing at all. Erik….had…uh….I punched him in the face. Now if you'll excuse us…" Nicole said quickly, pushing Erik into the bath room. She closed the door and turned to face Erik, his T-shirt now crusty with the dry blood.

"That reminds me that we have to go find you some new clothes." Nicole said thoughtfully, walking around him to the sink. She opened the mirror only to be bombarded by tampons. Nicole's shocked and embarrassed looks told Erik that these were something personal.

"Um…they fell out….so I put them back in…but I…..I'm sorry!' he said quickly, bowing his head.

"You're going to get blood on the floor! Stand up!" Nicole scolded, shoving the tampons back into their original box. Erik obeyed and stood up, surprised to see Nicole laughing.

"I never knew the Phantom of the Opera could be so clumsy!" she exclaimed. Erik pursed his lips.

"Well the Phantom of the Opera never expected to be sent hurtling down a large hole and into the 21st century." Erik retorted loudly and waving his free hand, only he sounded ridiculous because he was holding his nose so the blood would not leak out. This made him sound somewhat similar to an enraged nerd. Nicole couldn't help but laugh. She wet a purple washcloth and held it up to Erik's face.

"Here," she said, surprised at her own gentleness. Erik removed his hand as Nicole gently wiped away the blood.

"Sorry about that out there." She said, her face turning somewhat red. "I…I just get scarred of men easily sometimes. It depends totally on the situation though." She confessed. Erik looked at her sincerely.

"You have shown me more kindness than I have ever experience in my life in just three days. I would never attempt to harm you." He said sounding very romantic in Nicole's mind eye. She blushed even more.

"Erik…I'll need to take off your mask…so I can get the remainder of the blood off." Nicole requested weakly. Erik's face went white.

"Is that entirely necessary?" he questioned shakily. Nicole shifted her eyes away quickly, then back again.

"Just move it a little then." She mumbled. Erik slowly reached up and moved the white façade ever so slightly to the side, revealing a small portion of his deformity. Nicole then finished the job with tenderness she didn't know she had.

"There," she said triumphantly, throwing the bloody wash cloth in the sink. "All better now." She said smiling. "Only you might want to wash you hands." She suggested, looking down at Erik's blood stained hand. Erik sighed, situating his mask, and turned to the sink. Only he could not remember how to turn on the faucet. Nicole laughed again and quickly turned the tap for him. She walked out of the room, her body swaying as it had done this morning. Erik smiled to himself, growing very fond of the future. Perhaps he did not want to go back.

"How about this one!" Charo piped up, holding a vibrant fuchsia polo shirt. Nicole burst into laughter while Erik scowled.

"Never…not even in the 21st century, would I be caught wearing pink." He spat, crossing his arms.

"Does he _look _like Raoul?" Nicole asked, still giggling. Erik couldn't help himself, he had to laugh at that one. The painful memories seemed to slowly dissolve the longer he was around Nicole and her friends.

"I think black suits him personally…" Kythe interjected. "It sort of radiates the whole 'mysterious, murderous, sexy, social recluse' thing he has going on." She pointed out. Nicole giggled. "That it does." She said turning to look at Erik who had turned a deep scarlet at the thought of being 'sexy'.

"I say we dress him up like Willy Wonka! Sunglasses and all!" Charo suggested, attempting to suppress her giggles. Nicole raised a hand.

"Though that would be extremely hot, I can't see it happening for Erik. Okay time to be serious…" she said, though she could not quite erase the picture of Erik with a little bob hairstyle out of her head.

"There are some jeans over here." Ren said pointing over to a sale rack. Nicole smiled. Kythe leaned forward past Nicole, towards Ren.

"Are there any ass-less chaps over there? I think Nicole has those in mind too." She sneered. Nicole stood up suddenly, feeling as if her face had just been lit on fire. Ren and Charo had turned red as well, though the jeer had not been directed at them. Erik simply stood there looking confused.

"What does an ass have to do with anything?" he asked. Nicole ran over and hugged him quickly before turning back to Kythe.

"Yes, we will have to look for those….but not right now." She said smoothly, smirking slightly. Kythe snickered in an evil way.

"Come on Erik, we still have to do some more shopping." Nicole said, handing Erik some of the bags with the purchased goods in them. Erik took them, sighing loudly.

"I have recently discovered that I despise shopping." Erik said under his breath, following Nicole out of Macey's (A/N: don't own that).

"But it's so much fun!" Charo said from behind him. "Oh! We should get him a bright orange shirt! It will just make his eyes pop!" she exclaimed. Erik jumped.

"I don't want my eyes bursting anytime soon…" he said worriedly, quickly stepping out of the way of a woman who was wearing an orange dress.

"Not literally, moron." Kythe drawled. Ren jabbed her hard in the ribs.

"Can we stop shopping for today? Try some more tomorrow perhaps?" Erik pleaded, his arms aching from holding the bags. Nicole spun around to face him, preparing to chew him out. As soon as her denim eyes locked on to his electric blue ones, she felt her heart crumble.

"Please?" he said. That was the icing on the cake. Nicole felt herself practically melting in her lace up, black, dominatrix style boots.

"Fine." She said, trying to sound as if she was having a great debate with herself on weather or not to leave. "But first, can we find you a pinstripe suite? I think that would look rather dashing on you."

"Oh yes, yes! " Charo squeaked. Erik bit his lip, his eyebrows crinkling in a way that resembled pouting.

"As you wish." he said, defeated. Nicole clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Here, I'll help you with those bags." She said, taking two of the huge shopping bags out of Erik's hands.

"I will too." Kythe piped, briskly walking over and taking another bag. It felt as if Erik's arms had gotten much lighter. He let out a sigh of relief, following Nicole and Charo into Big and Tall, Clothing for Men. (A/N ha ha…don't own that. I assume Erik would mostly be the 'Tall' part…not the 'Big')

After rightfully acquiring a rather handsome suite, they made their way back to the parking lot.

"I'll see you back at the house!" Nicole called as Charo, Kythe, and Ren got into Charo's silver Z. Nicole ducked into her own car, glancing over at Erik. It looked as if he has fallen fast asleep.

"You awake?" Nicole asked softly. Erik let out a little grunt. Nicole smiled, reaching over and ruffling his hair. Erik turned his head slightly and raised his eyebrow at her. Nicole smiled again, causing her eyes to turn into little slits. She revved the engine of her car and pulled quickly out of the parking garage, her tires squealing on the pavement.

"So…" Nicole began timidly.

"Yes?" Erik enquired, his hands wrapped in a death grip around the car door handle.

"Did you like shopping?" Nicole asked happily. Erik let out a dry, sardonic laugh, clearly stating his answer.

"Somebody's cranky. Maybe you should take a nap when we get back." Nicole suggested, shifting gears violently.

"Naps are for children." Erik said, tightening his grip on the door handle even more. Nicole sighed, slumping her shoulders slightly.

"Well I need a nap…I don't know about you." She mumbled.

They arrived back at Nicole's apartment in the late afternoon. Erik and Nicole trumped up the stairs, the shopping bags thrown over their shoulders in an attempt to make the travel easier. If anything, Erik felt like an ass, speaking in terms of the animal and not the state of being. They both stumbled through the door to find Kythe and Ren both strewn about the sitting room, fast asleep. Vh1's "I Love the 90's" was playing softly on the TV. Erik gawked at the dancing baby for a moment before Nicole hit the power button.

"Come on." She whispered, motioning into the hall. She peeked her head into Charo's room. The only evidence that showed Charo's existence in the room was the odd lump under the covers of her bed.

"Looks like everyone's beat." Nicole exclaimed in a hushed voice, softly closing the door to Charo's room. "Are you sure you don't want to take a nap?" Nicole asked once again. Erik felt his eyelids become heavy as she repeated her statement.

"Where will I sleep?" he asked pitifully.

"You can stay in my bed." Nicole said, ushering Erik into her room and closing the door. Erik turned scarlet.

"No, no, I couldn't take your bed from you." He opposed politely. Nicole put her hand on her hip.

"I'm not that generous. I meant we can both sleep on it." She said, beginning to take off her jacket. Erik's face turned from scarlet to white.

"I-I-I don't think…" he began, but Nicole cut him off.

"Sometimes the term 'sleeping together' can actually involve sleep." She snapped. Her sharp blue eyes cut through Erik like a razorblade. Nicole sighed.

"I'm very tired. Take it or leave it?" she badgered. Erik shifted his weight.

"Take." He said, removing his cape.

They both moved to opposite sides of the bed, feebly lifting the covers and getting in.

"Well…good night…I guess…sort of." Nicole said lamely. She and Erik were about as far away from one another as physically possible on a bed. Erik felt he might fall off if he hugged any closer to the edge.

"Er…sweet dreams…Nicole." He concluded lamely as well. Nicole sighed and clicked off the light beside her bed, leaving the room in a cool kind of dark. Before Erik knew what was happening, he felt sleep grab hold of him and pull him down into a spiral. He was out like a light.

* * *

Hope You enjoyed it! 

I really appreciate your comments!

THANKS EVERBODY!

(P.S. Sorry it took so long to update. School is a bitch ;)


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